Dark Guardian
by Grey Wings Bathed in Blood
Summary: What if Dracula had met CassandraShirra when she was a child?
1. Darkness Falls

As the writer's block refuses to budge at The Path Not Taken, I hope this little"What-if?" one-shot will do for now...  
  
Seven year old Cassandra could barely contain herself. Romania was so lovely. The Adratic Sea seemed to call to her, with its azure shades and waves. The scenery was breath taking. And...words failed her here. Her family had brought her there on their yearly vacation. And it had thrilled her little heart and soul to explore the area outside the inn-with a servant of course.  
  
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"Ten, nine, eight..."  
  
Cornelius began counting as Cassandra ran to find a hiding place. The house the Mouskeris were residing in looked over the beautiful Adratic Sea   
  
"..Five, four, three..."  
  
As the girl tried to find a hiding place, she tripped over a rock. She could not stop her momentum and continued towards the cliff. She tried grabbing onto a root, only for it to snap –and her to tumble down the cliff, screaming.The last thing she felt was the impact of her body slamming into the cold waters-and darkness claimed her.  
  
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Dracula's eyes snapped open as Night fell  
  
.   
  
The scent of blood was in the air...Interesting.  
  
A child's-probably 7...female...injured...And in the sea-  
  
Transforming, he flew towards the Adratic Sea.  
  
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The waters slashed at the child like vicious carving knives. She was unconsious -and in pain.   
  
Her hair resembled a raven shroud half wrapping round her and half swimming with the waters.   
  
Shroud...wasn't that used for funerals? How ironic.   
  
Was this the end? Would anyone find her? Could they?   
  
Suddenly, a figure rocketed into the water-towards her. Strong arms firm as steel wrapped round her.  
  
She was saved. 


	2. Someone To Watch Over Me

  
  
SORRY...MY BAD..ITS NOT A ONE-SHOT.JUST HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ANYWAY..  
  
The girl was dressed like a boy; her hair clipped short to resemble a boy's. Her hair was the color of licorice with caramel. The same color of HER hair...  
  
"...Her lovely eyes so full of life-cold and dead, lifeless as ochre-colored marbles...  
  
..Her face pale as the dress she wore in the casket..."  
  
Dracula shoved them back to the corner of his head once more. She was dead. End of story. He felt her pulse-she was alive. Her face was fair-slightly blue from the cold. Her face seemed to radiate innocence.  
  
"..Didn't we all at certain points of Time?"  
  
he thought wryly. The smell of her blood was so good...  
  
As Dracula was about to push the raven-brown locks from her face, her eyes snapped open and she awoke, screaming so loud it would wake the dead-though of course, the irony was largely lost on Dracula here. His undead heart skipped a beat when he looked into her afce-and eyes.  
  
He was looking at a younger version of Cordelia.  
  
"Be at peace. You're safe."  
  
He whispered. Her heartbeat pounded like tidal waves in his ears. So fast...so rhythmic, so alive...Yet, he could not smell or hear fear at all. This was refreshing.  
  
As she caught her breath, he wrapped his coat round her, practically hooding her in its dark warmth.  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"C-cassandra.."  
  
She whispered, her lips a lovely shade of ice-blue, before leaning on his arm.  
  
"Who are you? Are you an angel?"  
  
Was the last thing she said before falling asleep. The jugular in her neck throbbed temptingly.  
  
Just a bite-  
  
He couldn't. She reminded him too much of ... HER. Cordelia.  
  
Pulling her closer to him, he whispered in the tone of a lover, no, a loving father,  
  
"I'll watch over you, Cassandra."  
  
ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR THE PLOT? REPLY ASAP! 


	3. The Angel of Death

The nickering of steeds and the barking of bloodhounds made Dracula turn around. He also smelled the human scent of...the girl's mother. He became mist automatically. Looking down, he saw several men and a woman on horseback, flanked with fierce bloodhounds. He sipped the pain and grief in the woman's soul-it was exquisite as a glass of 90-year old Spanish wine. It would go down so well with her blood.

"Sweet God! We finally found her!"

cried the men as they dismounted. The woman-presumably her mother held her tightly. She resembled an older version of Cassandra, save that her eyes were brown. Her wavy hair was waist-length.

"Someone must be watching over her."

Her mother whispered.

Everyone made the sign of the cross.

"We better get back."

With that, all left. Dracula decided against following. He had no intention of being riddled with stakes and drenched with holy water. It wouldn't kill him but it would hurt him-and who needed that? Curiosity-and hunger won in the end however. And he decided to follow after all.

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Cassandra awoke back in a bed. She was back in the summerhouse. Cornelius was staring straight at her, grinning through blood-shot eyes-from crying-.

"YAHHHH!"

She screamed, rolling off the bed, gasping for air.

"You're alive!"

chirped Corn.

"You won't be when I get my hands on you..."

she growled, breathing hard.

"How did you live?"

"Survive you mean. An angel saved me. Funny though. He wore black."

"I thought angels wear white. Maybe it was the Angel Of Death."

"If it was, he would have taken my soul."

"Maybe it was the Devil!"

"Don't be stupid. Maybe, it wasn't my time to die..."

Both were silent at their revelations.

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Outside, Dracula, who had followed listening to the child's heartbeat, listened to the conversation.

He smiled with amusement at their assumptions of him. Angel indeed...

The boy was not very far in his guess of which he was: He was Satan's SON actually. And the girl was right. It wasn't her time to die yet. Suddenly, a woman –a maid- burst into the room, boxed the boy's ears, telling him the young mistress needed to rest. As the door closed, he entered silently. She was tucking herself in when she saw him.

"You came back."

She whispered adoration in her tone. He nodded.

"Are you the Angel Of Death?"

She asked, catching him off guard.

"That I am,"

He lied.

"Who will die tonight then?"

"Why do you ask this?"

"Why else would you be here?"

"Smart Girl,"

He thought.

"Pray, not my parents too!"

She blurted.

He ran an elegant hand through her hair. So innocent...then again, weren't we all?

"Be calm. They shall not die tonight. Not yet at least."

She smiled.

"Thank God."

With that, she removed a earring-a hoop earring not unlike his- from her right ear and gave it to him.

"What is this?"

"To thank you for saving me...and besides, you do look a little odd with only one earring sir."

He held back a smile. Kissing her smooth forehead, he said,

"I thank thee. Now sleep."

And she did.

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The next morning, the entire house was in an uproar. Six servants-including the stableboy were dead. They were DRAINED OF BLOOD. All save Cassandra was upset. The Angel Of Death had come. And it was their time to die. And who was she to question him?

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Back at Castle Dracula, Dracula rested in his casket, a bloody smile on his face.

He had feasted on the blood of seven men last night. He had never feasted this well since...it was probably years since he ate that well.

And the earring...

Clutched in his palm, he held it close to his hollow, dead heart.

She GAVE it to him. This innocent child who reminded him so much of sweet, dear-and dead-Cordelia had given him a gift-and called him an angel. How deliciously ironic...

10 years from now, he would see her again-and he would wrap her in his dark embrace, both would drink from each other...and after a brief moment of pain, they would be together for eternity-

Death Never Do Them Part.

THE END

SORRY IF THIS FIC SUCKED-AND YES, READERS, I WILL CONTINUE"THE PATH NOT TAKEN" LATER!


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